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Day 12: 31 Days of Being Present

October 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Being present — what makes us be present? Well I think it depends on the day and where we are in our own heads.

This lil’ post is about babies. One in particular. Let me tell the story of Miss Alyssa. One of my neighbors has become one of my best girlfriends. Really, I adore her. Our hubbies are friends, our kids are friends and even our dogs are friends. I love that we are neighbors and can check in so regularly. A year ago my sweet friend was trying to get pregnant with baby #3 and it was proving to be a challenge and then it happened {it was a journey for sure}. She showed up with another BF of ours and presented the positive test {yes, we are that close}. Of course we all got weepy and giddy and happy.

Obviously the journey takes 9 months so we got to watch her belly grow, feel the baby kick and even throw her a pretty awesome baby shower. It was fun for all of us to follow along in all of the moments. Baby #3 was a surprise baby so we all made our guesses. A lot guessed boy. Those people were wrong {yes I was one of them. Sheesh}.

I got an early morning call on the 25th of June. She was heading to the hospital with contractions. Well because I have NO PATIENCE, I decided to plant myself in the Roseville area. You know, just to be close so I could be a stalker in case she needed me. They sent her away to ‘walk’. Well that seemed to do something cause I texted her to get an update {but not overbearing – nope, not me!} and she was getting ready to be admitted. Well you know, I was in the area. It worked out — she said come on over. So I did. Immediately.

So it begins. At first it was her MIL, hubby and me. Then the party continued with another one of her best friends and her parents. More neighbors. We all hung out, took turns walking with her and rubbing her back. She was a trooper. No meds. Yet. Her body seemed kinda at a stand still and then — her mom and dad who literally had just flown into the SF Airport after being in France walked through the door. Game changer. The tears started and so did the contractions. I think her body waited till her parents could be there.

We all carried on. Between visits in the room and then taking over the waiting room. The energy was amazing. Everyone was so excited and we all had a buzz about us. Then her hubby came our of her room and said, “It’s game time — grandmas come to the room please”. I think we all get super high pitched and squeaky when this announcement came.

A few more friends arrived and I had another dear friend on the phone when the proud daddy  came into the waiting room to make the announcement, “It’s a GIRL!!!”. Of course this was followed by a lot of hugs, tears and just overall happiness.

Soon enough we all filed into that delivery room to meet this sweet baby girl. I am certain that she felt all of our energy as she is one of the most social babies I have ever met. I know her mama felt our love that day too. It was one of the sweetest and sentimental days I have ever been apart of.

Fast forward to today. Alyssa is almost 4 months old. I love holding her and hearing her find her cute little voice, laughing for the first time and just showing us the innocence of life and knowing that we all started so small.

If I have a bad day, guess where I go? Yep, right for that baby girl. I hold her and I forget that I am grumpy. I turn into this pile of mush and don’t care how silly I sound. With her in my arms, I am completely present. Oh, I also get the title of Auntie Gabby. {love}. So there you have it, my little take on being present with babies.

Filed Under: Bee Inspired, The Hive Tagged With:

Day 11: 31 Days of Being Present

October 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ok — so this post is not mine. I did not live this but I feel like it is a very important message. One that all of us can relate too. We live in this world full of technology and although being plugged in can sometime be a good thing, it can also make us very distracted. Very. Sometimes these small distractions {and most of the time very unnecessary} can be life changing. The difference between life and death. Read on and you will see what I am talking about. Finding Joy is a blog that I love to read. She is real. She is honest and she makes me feel like a better mom. Also, this story does end well. It could have not ended well — which is why we must be present. Especially when behind the wheel. Those seconds saved from texting, talking on the phone and looking anywhere but forward could be life saving.

Read -> Save lives. Do not drive distracted.

I was driving down the interstate with my daughter —  we were both mildly irritated as we had left late and we were trying to hash out why –  and then in a second our lives and perspective shifted. Up ahead, with two cars inbetween, was a car that all of a sudden swerved into the median area where it was full of gravel. As the car began to fishtail the driver slammed on her brakes and proceeded to spin out multiple times in the middle of the busy interstate. I screamed at my daughter to sit back and I swerved to avoid the cars veering everywhere while trying to not hit this spinning car in front of me.
Then the car spun out one more time and smashed head first into the metal barrier {thank goodness they have those} between the two lanes of the interstate. I slammed on my brakes and stopped about ten feet from her car – in the middle of the interstate. And there we sat – in the middle of racing traffic – stopped. I yelled to Hannah to sit back again and I sat there looking in my rear view mirror at traffic unaware of what just happened, and me, and my daughter sitting in the car with nowhere to go. All I could see was that line of cars racing toward our car that was now sitting on the interstate going zero.

Not now. Not here.

A semi-truck racing towards me slowed down and pulled up right behind me and stopped. After we both jumped out and checked on the girl in the car {she was okay, but simply and understandably very shook up}, we talked in that stunned way – that way where two people never expect to talk – right in the middle of the interstate where you only drive. And that driver, that man in the semi, he told me I knew I had to stop in back of you. I saw the smoke and dirt and then you and I knew that if I didn’t stop you’d be toast. You’d be toast because someone would be looking at their phone and slam into you, but they won’t slam into me. I looked at him, this man whose face is forever imprinted in my mind, and I thanked him over and over and over again.

He stopped his truck to save me and the girl whose car was in front of mine smashed into the median.

When I sat in the middle of the interstate for those long seconds before that semi truck stopped the thing that kept running through my mind was see me see me see me – pay attention – please – stop – slow down. I knew that if people weren’t watching they’d slam right into me and my daughter stuck in the middle of a place where we never wanted to be sitting still.

 

Filed Under: Bee Inspired Tagged With:

Pumpkin Cobbler

October 12, 2012 By 4 Comments

I found this recipe many moons ago in a Gooseberry Patch recipe book. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of Gooseberry Patch but they have amazing recipes, craft ideas and even cute gifts. I have several of their Christmas books. Actually several of their recipes are now family favorites, including this one. My hubby loves this one so thankfully I was able to surprise him while he took the big boy to soccer tonight. Good thing I stock up on things like cake mixes, pumpkin and spices when they are on sale for moments like this ;) Oh, whatever you do — serve it with homemade whipping cream. I swear, you won’t be disappointed!!

 Photo Source

Gooseberry Patch Pumpkin Cobbler

3 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (18 1/2 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 1/4 cups margarine, melted {I used butter}
1 cup chopped nuts
Directions:

1 In a mixing bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients; stir well.
2 Pour mixture into an ungreased 13×9 inch baking pan.
3 Sprinkle cake mix over the top.
4 Drizzle with melted margarine.
5 Bake in a 350° oven for 25 minutes; top with nuts.
6 Bake 15 more minutes.

Homemade Whipping cream

Heavy cream and sugar to taste. Just use a hand mixer {I prefer the Kitchen-aid cause you can just let it go} and whip for a bit. Once it starts to stiffen up, add sugar to taste. How much depends on how sweet you like it. A quarter cup may be plenty. Just give it a taste to see. Keep on mixing till it stands on it’s own and keep in the fridge. Use as needed.

Oh, did I mention how divine this whipped cream is on hot cocoa? Yep, heavenly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: In the Kitchen Tagged With: , ,